This is only if you stick religiously to the finger placement that is classically taught and which was invented in the age of mechanical typewriters.
For these staggering was a necessity to prevent the typebars from clashing. The keys had a long travel and had to be hit with a lot of force from above like a diving eagle. Resting the palm was impossible and for a floating hand a short travel from key to key was more important than the angle.
A 2016 study[1] showed that consistency (always same finger for the same key) is a better predictor for typing performance than using a traditional 10-finger system or even ten fingers at all. Also the finger placement taught varies from where it is taught.
My point is that staggering doesn't make sense for a split keyboard and that most people unconsciously use the staggering of their regular keyboard as a poor replacement for a true split.
"I don't think wrist angle follows the keys. You simply move your hands"
"minimal global hand motion" was the third best predictor for typing performance in the paper mentioned above. Unless you are typing on a Remington, anchor your palms and only move your fingers. Good for performance and good for your health.
For these staggering was a necessity to prevent the typebars from clashing. The keys had a long travel and had to be hit with a lot of force from above like a diving eagle. Resting the palm was impossible and for a floating hand a short travel from key to key was more important than the angle.
A 2016 study[1] showed that consistency (always same finger for the same key) is a better predictor for typing performance than using a traditional 10-finger system or even ten fingers at all. Also the finger placement taught varies from where it is taught.
My point is that staggering doesn't make sense for a split keyboard and that most people unconsciously use the staggering of their regular keyboard as a poor replacement for a true split.
[1] https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2858036.2858233
EDIT:
"I don't think wrist angle follows the keys. You simply move your hands"
"minimal global hand motion" was the third best predictor for typing performance in the paper mentioned above. Unless you are typing on a Remington, anchor your palms and only move your fingers. Good for performance and good for your health.